Does Everyone Need a College Degree?

There is a story in this morning's NY Times regarding academic erosion at The University of Phoenix.

This got me thinking: Why does everyone need a college degree?

Comments

[Steve K.]

Hmmm, I don't have one. And so far, by the grace of God, I've been able to do some things. Experience counts for a lot. And, of course, who you know (connections). I tell people I have the spiritual gift of networking ;-) But that doesn't work for everyone either. Just my two cents.

[Daniel]

Yeah, I don't have a degree either. It does put some limitations on you, but it's not a big deal if you don't want to work for a large corporation or in certain specialized fields.

[Jarrod]

perhaps the "need" for a degree is a holdover from modernity that we just can't shake. i know that churches, particularly denominational churches, use educational degrees as a way to "show yourself approved" - but it's not working too well for them.

[Michael Toy]

Being a very smart but only mrginally functional human being, I did not come out of the college gauntlet alive.

It cost me serious money when I sold my first company and took a 9-5 job. Starting salaries were based on education level. Merit based pay increases eventually brought my pay in line with others doing the same work I did, but it sucked until then.

It reveals something about me I wish weren't so obvious. I suck at doing the stuff I don't like to get to the stuff that I do like.

Overall, I wish I had a degree, but not enough to go back and get one, that seems like it would just be silly.